Syrian Druze were a minority under Assad’s rule in Syria
They have generally lived in seclusion and have had a positive, if limited, relationship with Israel in the past, especially with the Israeli Druze community.
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly confirmed that the country will make a major decision: allowing Syrian Druze and Circassians to cross the border to work in the Israeli part of the Golan Heights.
This is a surprising move, given that Israel and Syria have technically been enemies for decades.
Allowing citizens of a hostile country like Syria to work in Israel is rare and could have major repercussions for the region.
It shows how rapidly the Middle East has changed in recent months.
Until December 7 and 8, Syria was ruled by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Despite maintaining a ceasefire with Israel since 1974, the Syrian government was officially an enemy of Israel and helped Iran send weapons to Hezbollah, an armed group in Lebanon.
In addition, Assad’s Syria posed a direct threat due to Iranian militias, the Syrian air force, long-range missiles and even chemical weapons.
When Ahmed al-Sharaa and his rebels overthrew Assad, the situation changed.
Israel became concerned about the possibility of a jihadist invasion, while the Syrian Druze feared being attacked or persecuted by the new government, even though al-Sharaa said he wanted peace within Syria and on its borders.
Untrusting al-Sharaa, who has a history of ties to jihadist groups, Israel acted quickly and created a safe zone in southern Syria to avoid any risk of attack by the new Syrian government.
This area includes many Syrian Druze communities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Syria
For the past three months, the 210th Division of the Israeli army (IDF) has been in southern Syria.
During this time, Israel has tried to improve its relationship with the Syrian Druze to reassure them about its military presence and avoid conflict.
Allowing the Syrian Druze to work in Israel, even if only in the Golan Heights, is a major step towards strengthening ties between Israel and the community.
It also indicates that Israel intends to remain in southern Syria for an extended period of time.
The announcement appears to have been made strategically, coming on the heels of a weekend of tensions in Syria, when a battle between another minority, the Alawites, and forces of the new regime left hundreds dead, including many innocent civilians.
These events have raised questions in the West about whether the new Syrian government is trustworthy or acceptable to the global economic system.
Legal issues and support for the Druze
There is no clear international law that allows Israel to remain in Syria indefinitely.
Therefore, the argument that the Israeli presence helps local Syrians, such as the Druze, can be used to justify the Israeli army’s continued presence in the region.
Katz thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich for supporting this decision.
He also promised that Israel will protect the Syrian Druze from any threat from the new Syrian government.
This text has been rewritten to be clearer and easier to understand, while retaining the main ideas of the original article.
Published in 03/09/2025 17h39
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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